Endocranial Drainage of Spinal Cord Veins

Enlarged draining veins of spinal cord arteriovenous malformations and tumors often ascend to the foramen magnum and beyond. Serial skull filming in concomitance with spinal cord angiography shows considerable endocranial extent of these draining veins, with various patterns and final discharge into cranial sinuses. This vascular connection between spinal and cranial structures represents accentuation of a normal condition—endocranial drainage of cord veins. The endocranial drainage of cord arteriovenous malformations is a factor in treatment choice. These large venous channels in the posterior fossa may create diagnostic angiographic problems and may explain papilledema sometimes associated with cord arteriovenous malformations and tumors.